That's why we've been updating them for you with new covers and decent descriptions.

This all started as a program to enable writers to learn from the classics and so improve their own craft. However, it's popular support has broadened the scope to include the top 100 (or so) all-time popular classic fiction (and a few non-fiction) to enable any writer (or reader) to study from history's greatest.

What we found is that these books - now in the public domain - have been given short shrift, with boring covers, cheap-quality printing, and poor (also boring) descriptions that don't communicate the excitement the millions of readers have shared over the years.

And the ebook versions are mostly some sort of machine-code scene, with no table of contents and sometimes other horrible errors. Sure, they're free - but "you get what you pay for" has never been truer.

So I started this campaign with a couple dozen books, just to see how they do - and now have committed to doing a full release for over 100 books. This will mean they get proper reviews, their own page on a respectful website, and ways you can find any version of these classics that you want - hardback or digital - all with some care to the reader, and respect for the original author and his works.

I just wanted to drop you a note to say I'm working on this. Eventually, they'll all wind up in a catalog that you can download (for free) and so have access to all these versions. The great part is that they don't have to cost an incredible amount to get the best quality possible.

The point is to give writers and readers, as well as the books and their authors, all possible respect. While this may take a good part of the upcoming year to create, it will be a labor of love - and so should go more quickly than someone getting paid to do this. (Of course, these will have small prices on them, which will pay my bills while I re-publish these.)